Artemisia: An End to Seclusion
by Spirit Lovelorn
Summary: FINISHED Artemisia was doomed to a life of loneliness after her mother, Ultimecia, had wreaked havoc upon the world, but a senseless dare between two friends changed all that. Will she ever find her place in the world?
1. The Forbidden Castle

(Some of you might have read my story, Artemisia. Some of you who read it asked for a longer story. Well, here it is! As we all know, I don't own Final Fantasy VIII and neither do you, but all the characters in this story are mine! You can't have them!... Well, I'll let you borrow them, but only if you ask me for permission first and as long as there's no graphic sex.)

Artemisia: An End to Seclusion

by Spirit Lovelorn

*****

CHAPTER 1: The Forbidden Castle

"Why doesn't that witch just go away?"

Eighteen year old Keith Swordstrife sat alongside his friend, Evan Archer. They were best friends, but contrasted fiercely. Keith was dark-haired, with green eyes and an extroverted personality, while Evan was fair skinned, fair haired, blue-eyed, and had a bit of a self-reserved personality. 

"She won't leave because she knows we're scared of her," Evan said.

"I'm not scared of her," Keith stated boldly. 

"...Really..." Evan replied sarcastically. "Prove it."

"How?"

"Go up to the castle."

"Go to Artemisia's castle!?"

Everyone who lived in Centra City knew of Artemisia. She was the daughter of Ultimecia, the sorceress who had tried to destroy all humanity. They believed her to be an evil warmongering demon and feared that she too would one day wreak havoc on the world.

"Yeah, tough guy, the castle," Evan said. "And you need proof too."

"O-okay, s-sure." Keith accepted the dare. "I'll go tonight."

"I'll pray to Hyne that you come back in one piece." Evan still sounded sarcastic.

"I don't need you to pray for me and I will do it."

"Best of luck to you then. Now, the boss is gonna get mad if we don't get back into the shop."

*****

"Oh, Hyne..."

Keith had left his house after his father thought that he was asleep and went to the old stone house by the beach. It was in a state of dilapidation, no one had lived there for centuries. It used to be an orphanage, ironically being the childhood home for the legendary SeeDs who came from the past and defeated Ultimecia, ending her reign of terror. All that remained of the house was rubble and ghosts.

  
  


Next to the condemned home was a bridge of chains which led to the castle of the damned one, a crumbling fortress which floated over the waters off of Centra. Keith gulped and crossed the bridge. The sun disappeared upon his entering of the castle grounds.

He had to admit to himself, his cockiness tended to get him in a lot of trouble. Now he was risking his own life (who knew what Artemisia would do to him if he got caught) just to save face. He walked up the steps and pushed open the door. When he saw that the coast was clear, he went inside.

The front foyer seemed to still be in decent condition. A chandelier hung suspended above, glowing with the light of a hundred burning candles. Keith found it both stunningly beautiful, and eerily creepy. Now he just had to use something as proof that he was there.

"What can I take? What can I take?"

He moved slowly, keeping his feet as quiet as possible, for fear of being caught. He carefully scanned the surrounding area, until he came across a spooky-looking little statuette of a bleeding angel.

"If Evan saw this..." Keith grinned.

He carefully picked it up out of it's spot in the wall. He held it delicately, not wanting to break it. He grinned in triumph, proud of his accomplishment.

"What are you doing?"

Keith froze. His hands began to tremble as they held onto the statuette. He turned around slowly to face the person behind him.

Angry yellow eyes glared at him from a slender pale face, a face that hadn't seen sunlight for a long time. Long white hair hung loose, draping over her shoulders. A simple black dress stretched from her shoulders to her ankles. Small bare feet peeked out from underneath the skirt. This was Artemisia.

"Why are you taking that?"

"Uh..."

"It was my mother's." Artemisia's voice was calm but stern. Keith was on the verge of begging for mercy. He cried out as she approached him.

"No, please don't kill me!" he cried.

"Why are you here?" Artemisia asked.

"A dare from a friend," Keith confessed. "He told me to bring back proof."

"That doesn't make it okay to come here and take things from me," Artemisia said.

"I'm sorry! Please let me live. I'll never bother you again!"

Artemisia stopped and turned her glance towards the stone floor, her white hands curling into tight fists. Keith put the statue down and backed into the wall.

"Why ... do you hate me?" The young woman choked on her question.

"...What?"

"You all hate me," Artemisia whispered. "You all fear me. It's my punishment for being the daughter of Ultimecia, isn't it?"

Keith was quiet, unsure of what to say to the crying young woman in front of him.

"Go, take the damn statue," she said. "Be a hero to your friends. Pretend you did a deed worthy of honor."

"...I'm sorry," he whispered.

"Saying sorry won't help." Artemisia wiped her eyes with her hands. "Now get out of here and let me be."

Keith quickly bolted out of the door and across the bridge of chains. He stumbled through the crumbling stones of the old orphanage and made his way back home.

*****

Keith worked in Centra City's local item shop stocking shelves. It was the morning after his encounter with Artemisia, and his guilt still burned inside of him.

"Hey, Keith." Evan was walking towards him, carrying a crate of Potions. "You do know that you're staring out into space and that the Elixirs go on this shelf, right?"

"Huh?... Oh, sorry." Keith started moving the Elixirs over to their correct shelf.

"Hey man, what's with you?" Evan asked. "You're like totally off it today."

"...I upset someone," Keith said. "I don't know how to make her feel better."

"Her?" Evan's voice had a teasing tone to it.

"Yes, a girl," Keith snapped, "and I'll ask you kindly to not make fun of me for it."

"Whoa, no need to be so touchy," Evan said defensively. "Didn't it occur to you to apologize?"

I did apologize, but that isn't gonna cut it," Keith answered.

"...What'd you do?"

"You wouldn't believe me."

"Okay..." Evan folded his arms across his chest. "...Maybe flowers would make this chick you're into feel--"

"I'm not really interested in her. I just want her to know I'm sorry," Keith said.

"I really don't know how to help you," Evan told him, "but I'm wishing you luck."

"Evan, get your ass over to the cash register!" the shop owner yelled.

"Later!" Evan ran over to the front of the store.

Keith sighed. What exactly could he do? Flowers were a nice gesture, but he doubted that they would work. What could you do to cheer up a girl living by herself in a castle?...

"Be a friend," he whispered.

*****

"So, did you take up my challenge yet?" Evan asked Keith as they sat in the neighborhood pub, where they ate dinner after work.

"...No," Keith lied.

"Knew you wouldn't," Evan said. "You wouldn't be stupid enough to go face that psycho-witch."

"Um, yeah." Keith sipped his soda. "Which flower shop has the nicest flowers?"

"My mom's shop, doofus," Evan replied. "Why? Decided to give that girl flowers?"

"That's part of what I'm gonna do," Keith said.

"Well, my mom has fresh cut Winhill flowers," Evan told him. "Are you sure you don't like her?"

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure I don't."

"Okay, just checking." Evan was quiet for a few moments. "Do I know this girl?"

"Sort of."

"Who is she?"

"You'd be surprised," Keith said.

"It's not Rebecca, is it?" Evan asked. "You know, she's a sl-"

"No, it's not her," Keith assured his friend. "Now, drop it. I'm not telling you who she is."

*****

Keith held a single white flower in his hand, it being all he could buy with the remaining Gil in his pocket. He had returned to the old castle, hoping to make amends with Artemisia. He knocked on the door, and waited a few minutes before pushing it open. He heard music in the distance, but was unsure of where it was coming from. He walked up the stairs of the front foyer, the steps creaking under his weight.

Another door greeted him at the top of the steps. Keith pushed it open and saw the only way to precede any further was by walking across a chandelier. He began to walk across it, but about halfway through, the chandelier creaked loudly and fell, plummeting to the floor below. Keith jumped, landing hard onto the floor.

"Ow..."

Keith heard the music abruptly stop. He sat up and saw that he had landed in what appeared to be a dining hall. The doors to the north opened, and Artemisia's head peeked in. She immediately noticed Keith and her jaw tightened.

"You," she hissed. "Why can't you stop harassing me? What do you want from me?"

"I-"

"If you're sorceress hunting, give it up," Artemisia said. "I'm not a sorceress. Never have been, never will be."

"I'm not here to kill you..."

"I'd be better off dead anyway."

Keith got up and picked his flower up off of the floor. The stem had snapped. Artemisia watched him curiously.

"What is that for?" she asked.

"It was for you, but the stem's busted," Keith answered.

"For ... me?" Artemisia was genuinely surprised. "Why?"

"To tell you I'm sorry and as a sign of friendship."

Artemisia was quiet. She reached out and took the broken flower from Keith's hand. She gently touched the white petals. Her yellow eyes glistened.

"Thank you," she whispered.

Keith nodded a 'you're welcome.' "What was that music I heard?"

"I was playing the organ in the chapel," Artemisia said.

"Really?" Keith realized he never told her his name. "I forgot to introduce himself. I'm Keith Swordstrife."

"Artemisia, but you already know that."

"Yeah, I do."

"...Are you hurt from your fall?" the young woman asked.

"Just bruised," Keith answered. "Nothing serious... Not to be rude, but how have you been able to live here all by yourself?"

"I've been taking care of myself ever since I was small," Artemisia told him. "I had to. My mother..."

"What about her?" Keith inquired.

"No ... forget it," Artemisia said.

*****

"So, did that girl forgive you?" Evan asked Keith as he walked into the shop.

"Yeah, we're cool," Keith replied. "I'm gonna meet her later."

"Oh?"

"Cut it out. We're just friends."

"I really don't believe you."

"Tough. You're going to have to."

"Can I go with you when you see her later?" Evan asked.

"No," Keith said.

"Why not?"

"You don't need to know."

"Fine, be that way," Evan frowned. "There are crates of Gyshal Greens in the storage room. You're supposed to refill the bins with the fresh greens."

Keith groaned and went back into the storage room to retrieve the crates. After work, he was going back up to the castle. Artemisia promised to give him a tour. He found himself quite excited at the thought of going back there. He was becoming quite fond of his new friend.

*****

"You sent him to me, didn't you?"

Artemisia stared at the small wooden cross she had hung in the chapel three years ago when her mother was killed. There was never a body to bury, meaning no grave. This little cross was what Artemisia turned to when she needed a listener.

"You did," she whispered. "I know you did. You didn't want me to be alone anymore. I won't take this for granted. Thank you, Mother."

*****

(Well, that concludes the first chapter of Artemisia. Let me know what you think. If this gets at least one positive response, there will be more chapters in the future. I like this story; something different and a little more original in the fics. I think a few of my fics are original, not necessarily great, but at least sort of original... Not all of them, mind you, but some of them. Well, more chapters soon! Second chapter should dwell deeper into the story.)


	2. Is It An Honest Love?

(YES!!! *does a happy dance* After two months of slaving over my papers, I finally finish Chapter 2! Sadly, it only took up a total of two pieces of notebook paper, but this is the version I am finally happy with. I'm hoping to finish this story by the time my birthday rolls around, but we'll have to see. And unfortunately, my copy of Final Fantasy VIII is on loan to a close friend, and I haven't played it in awhile, so I am having trouble remembering what Ultimecia's castle looks like. I'll see what I can do for later chapters, but to be honest, every time I'd run around Ulty's castle, I'd get lost.)

  
  


CHAPTER 2- Is it an Honest Love?

  
  


In the passing months, Keith spent much of his time in the dilapidated rubble of the castle, keeping Artemisia company. He often found himself completely entranced by her grace and modesty. She was a gifted Renaissance woman, intelligent, talented in the arts, and yet, she insisted that she was nothing special.

  
  


"Hobbies will use the time that boredom wastes," she'd say.

  
  


Shortly after she and Keith had first become friends, Artemisia, though she tried to convince herself that it was only because was the only man she had ever really known, found herself falling in love. She argued with herself, claiming that it was unreasonable for her to feel the way she did about him, that the possibility of wrecking a friendship was too great a risk for love. Afraid to lose her only friend, Artemisia kept her feelings hidden.

  
  


But, maybe she wasn't the only one questioning her feelings...

  
  


*****

  
  


"Yo, Keith, can you try coming out of the clouds for a while?"

  
  


"Huh?" Keith blinked. "Oh, sorry."

  
  


It was a warm Saturday afternoon, and for the first time in weeks, Keith and Evan were spending time together. They had gone down to the beach to meet a few friends, joking about being attacked by a Fasticolon. However, since the defeat of Ultimecia, monsters had begun to dwindle in numbers, so it was actually much safer to wander outside city barriers.

  
  


"Geez, you're becoming as ditzy as a cheerleader," Evan said teasingly. 

  
  


"I'm not spacing out," Keith replied, annoyance present in his voice. "I'm just thinking."

  
  


"About?"

  
  


"Stuff."

  
  


Evan rolled his eyes. "Great... Come on, what's eating you? I'm your best friend, you can tell me anything."

  
  


Keith looked down and dug his toes into the sand. Evan sighed, and stalked off to meet their other friends. Keith shrugged a little to himself. He didn't mean to push his best friend away, but he doubted that even Evan could understand what he was feeling.

  
  


Two months ago, Keith had woken up with a funny feeling in his chest. He couldn't figure out what it was at first, but when he was brushing his teeth, it hit him. It hit him so hard that he fell from the shock.

  
  


He was in love. 

  
  


He was in love with Artemisia.

  
  


And tonight was the night he was going to tell her.

  
  


*****

  
  


Artemisia sat on her bed, her feet covered by the skirt of her richly colored green silk dress. She had been thinking a lot lately ... about Keith.

  
  


"!!!" she growled in frustration.

  
  


Artemisia jumped off the bed and began pacing around her room. She knew what love was, she had read about it in books, but feeling it was different. She was confused and, in all honesty, quite scared of these new emotions.

  
  


...These were the kinds of things that a mother was good for.

  
  


She sighed, and went to the door. She pulled it open and walked down the hall towards the ballroom. She was heading for the chapel.

  
  


When she entered the chapel, she sat down in front of her mother's cross. The crudely cut wood with 'Rest in Peace' scrawled across the horizontal part hung on the wall, fitting in eerily with its surroundings. Artemisia clasped her hands together in her lap and stared silently at the mangled timber, her golden eyes filled with frustration.

  
  


"Is it an honest love?" she asked.

  
  


*****

  
  


"Artemisia?"

  
  


Keith walked through the front entrance into the Front Foyer. It was quiet. Keith let out a nervous sigh and began fumbling with the buttons on his shirt. He didn't know why, but he had suddenly felt he had to look nice...

  
  


Keith was wearing a black short-sleeved button-down shirt, the top button left unopened. He had on clean and ironed jeans and black leather boots. He combed black his hair, but a few stubborn strands of ebony fell across his forehead.

  
  


His heart was pounding and his hands were shaking. He was scared out of his mind. Sure, Keith had had girlfriends before, but this was the first time he truly felt in love.

  
  


"Keith?" Artemisia appeared at the door to the left.

  
  


"Oh, h-hi."

  
  
  
  


Dammit Keith, he scolded himself. Don't stutter.

  
  


"You look nice today."

  
  


"Y-yeah, thanks. You too."

  
  


Artemisia smiled, her cheeks turning slightly pink. Keith thought she looked even more beautiful with the color in her pale face. He swallowed hard and his mouth went dry.

  
  


"Is something wrong?" Artemisia approached him. "You're shaking."

  
  


"There's something I have t-to t-tell you," Keith stammered.

  
  


"What is it?"

  
  


"Artemisia, I, uh..."

  
  


Artemisia took his hands and looked into his jade-colored eyes.

  
  


"What is it?" she asked again, her voice gentle.

  
  


Keith's lips formed a nervous half-smile and he leaned in slightly, until his face was only a few inches from hers.

  
  


"I love you," he whispered.

  
  


Artemisia gasped and covered her mouth. He eyes almost immediately began to glitter with tears and she started to cry.

  
  


"Are you okay?" Keith questioned nervously.

  
  


"I don't know, I... I..."

  
  


Artemisia threw her arms around Keith's neck and pressed her lips against his. Keith was caught by surprise, but was quickly able to fall into the moment. He returned the kiss, placing his arms around her waist so that he could hold her close.

  
  


"I love you too," she said softly when their lips parted.

  
  


*****

  
  


"Yeah, so my mom left us when I was twelve," Keith was telling Artemisia. "Ever since then, it's been just me and my dad, but I'm cool with it. My best friend, Evan, his mom's always looked out for me."

  
  


"I see." Artemisia stared quietly at her bare feet.

  
  


"What's wrong?"

  
  


"I envy you." Artemisia glanced up at him.

  
  


"Oh... I'm sorry..."

  
  


"Please, don't be," she said softly. "I don't want pity..."

  
  


Keith thought for a second. He bit his lip, hoping he wouldn't regret asking.

  
  


"...What about your family?"

  
  


"You mean my mother."

  
  


"No... I... Yeah," Keith accepted defeat. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. I won't ask again."

  
  


"...My father died before I was born," Artemisia began to tell her tale. "It was just my mother and I living inside our cottage for as long as I could remember. I look like her. She was almost the same; long white hair, yellow eyes, but I was told that I had my father's smile. Mother was loved in our little country town, but things change. They can change in the worst possible ways..."

  
  


"When I was five, our home was broken into by some drunken lunatics," Artemisia continued. "Mother hid me in a closet, but the men found her. They ... did things ... made her scream... They called her a whore ... even though she didn't want them to touch her..."

  
  


Keith took a hold of Artemisia's hand and squeezed it gently.

  
  


"After that, she became cold and emotionless," she continued, tucking a loose strand of snow-colored hair behind her ear. "Except for at night. That' when she cried. No one in town understood what she was going through, so they kept away... It was like that for three years. Then one night, an old woman showed up at our door. She told us that she was a sorceress, and that she needed to pass her powers on before she died. My mother accepted them without hesitation."

  
  


"Dear Hyne," Keith whispered under his breath.

  
  


"My mother knew exactly what she wanted. Revenge. Revenge on the world for pushing her away. She began acting differently, dressing differently. Her sense of power was frightening. She brought us to this castle and created monstrous servants to protect her from anyone who would try to stop her. You know the rest of the story."

  
  


Keith tilted Artemisia's chin up so she could face him. "Thanks for telling me. I think I have a new perspective on things now."

  
  


Artemisia smiled weakly. The young couple embraced and their lips met again in a passionate kiss.

  
  


*****

  
  
  
  


Keith yawned as he sleepily opened the door to the two-story brick home that lived in with his father, Xander Swordstrife. It was well past midnight, and sure enough, his father was waiting for him in the living room.

  
  


"Where were you?" Xander started the interrogation immediately.

  
  


"...Evan's..."

  
  


"Why didn't you leave a note?"

  
  


"...Forgot..."

  
  


"You better be going straight to bed."

  
  


"I am."

  
  


"Always let me know where you are," Xander told his son sternly. "Don't forget again, or I'll have your head, young man."

  
  


Keith trudged up the stairs and into his room. He fell forward onto his bed and kicked his sneakers off onto the floor. He fell asleep with a smile plastered across his face.

  
  


He was in love.

  
  


He had found the one.

  
  


*****

  
  


(No clue when I'll get around to starting Chapter Three, but I did say that updates would be slow.)


	3. Secrets Don't Last Forever...

(Well, I finally wrote a new chapter, but it ends with a cliff-hanger, so I'm sorry if that ticks anyone off. I originally planned to have this finished by my birthday, but considering that my birthday was yesterday, and judging by how slow I'm writing this, I'm wondering if I'll get it done next month... Plus, on top of that, I have play practice five nights a weeks, band practice, assisting with middle school marching band [I love bossing around those kids], waiting ever so impatiently for 'Gutterflower' to come out, and I'm in the middle of writing a term paper [on music therapy, since I'm a music student]. And then there's lot of other stuff that I don't want to talk about... Razor Osaka, I have seen Buffy, but I don't watch it on a regular basis. Yeah, I get names from all sorts of places. Well now, on with the show. Things get mildly risque for once. Nothing graphic; I hardly ever write NC-17, and I highly doubt I'd post it.)

CHAPTER 3- Secrets Don't Last Forever...

*

While romance was blossoming between Keith and Artemisia, another began to grow suspicious. Evan was becoming deeply troubled by Keith's sudden distant behavior; he hadn't socialized with any of his friends nowhere near as often as he used to. Evan knew there had to be reasons, but he know didn't exactly what kind of reasons.

It was a late afternoon at the shop when things started to take a negative turn. The shop owner had left early to take his wife to the doctor, leaving Keith and Evan alone to run the place. They were in the process of closing for the evening when Evan, at the spur of the moment, decided to make an attempt at finding out what was going on.

"So..." Okay, a pathetic conversation starter.

"What is it?" Keith raised an eyebrow slightly.

"Keith, is something going on?" Evan asked, the worry clearly evident in his voice.

"Why?" Answer with a question. Keith didn't want to do any more lying than he had already done.

"You've become quite the socially inept being these past few months," Evan stated in a semi-blunt manner.

"'Quite the socially inept being?'" Keith couldn't help but be amused by the statement. "You were dragged along to another one of your mom's book club meetings, weren't you?"

"Dammit, don't try to change the subject!" Evan's voice suddenly rose. "What are you hiding from me? I'm your best friend, for Hyne's sake!"

Keith kept his cool, looked Evan straight in the eye, and answered, "You would not be able to understand. I'm sorry, but I can't tell you."

"I thought best friends didn't keep secrets."

Keith only shrugged in response.

"Fine, Keith."

Evan yanked off his apron, an ugly and coarse piece of tan material, and threw it on the counter. As he began to storm out, Keith ran to try to stop him, but when his hand touched his friend's shoulder, his hand was swatted away.

"Leave me alone, asshole," Evan snapped, then hurriedly exited the shop. Keith heaved a loud sigh, feeling slightly angry with himself for upsetting his friend, but he knew he couldn't tell Evan the truth.

If I told you I was in love with Artemisia... What would you do?

*****

It was both a blessing and a curse that the sky was without a moon that night. A curse because once Keith had left the city barriers, there were no more city lights to allow the sight of the dark-haired youth as he headed towards his destination. A blessing because it would be harder for him to notice that Evan was following him.

Evan kept very quiet, for two reasons. One, he did not want Keith to hear him and be discovered, and two, he needed to hear Keith's footsteps (fortunately, Keith was wearing heavy boots with metal buckles which made some noise as he walked).

Evan was beginning to make out Ultimecia's castle close by. Why was Keith heading in this direction? He continued to follow Keith into the ruins of the old orphanage, becoming extremely cautious so as not to trip over any of the rubble. He crept along, watching Keith slip out a back door. A gigantic chain was driven into the ground, forming a bridge leading up to the crumbling castle. Evan swallowed hard... Keith had definitely gone insane. Evan watched Keith reach up the steps leading inside the castle before continuing to follow him.

Evan had been one of the better runners on the track team when he and Keith were still in high school, and being able to move quickly and lightly across a chain bridge was not the most difficult of tasks he had ever done, but Evan still found himself holding his breath as he crossed.

Of course, he said to himself. The witch lives here...

*****

When Keith stepped inside the castle, a sudden feeling of dread washed over him. Thinking that maybe something was wrong, he fled to the hall. The door to Artemisia's room was open, and Keith rushed in without hesitation of what might be on the other side.

...Which happened to just be Artemisia sitting on her bed, reading a book.

"Keith?"

Keith let out a sigh of relief, but the feeling remained.

"What's wrong?"

"...I ... don't know..."

"Keith..."

Artemisia got up from the bed and went to Keith's side. She curled her ivory fingers around Keith's hand and held his hand against her chest to feel her heart beating. Keith's emerald eyes stared at her curiously.

"What are you doing?"

"Can't you feel it?" Artemisia looked into his eyes. "My heart is at ease, because I am with you. And if it were to beat faster, it would in the moments when we-"

Artemisia was interrupted by a sudden, passionate kiss. Keith's hands had moved to her waist, holding her close against him. As she threw her arms around his neck, he lifted her off her feet, and carried her to the bed. 

"Moments like that?"

"Yes." Artemisia smiled.

Keith gently placed her on the bed, and laid down next to her. He propped his upper body up on his right arm. He reached over to her and gently stroked her cheek with his left hand.

"You are so beautiful," he whispered.

"Keith..."

Keith proceeded to kiss her again, this time trailing down to her shoulders. Artemisia immediately realized where this moment was headed, and she tensed up.

"What's wrong?" Keith asked.

"I ... never ... you know..."

Oh, that's right, Keith thought. She's a virgin. I should have figured that one out.

"Sorry, I'll stop," he said.

"No, I don't want you to stop," Artemisia told him. "I just felt I had to let you know."

"You know I love you, right?" Keith smiled at her.

"Of course. And I love you too."

*****

Evan gently pushed open the wooden double doors and entered the castle. He looked around, his eyes widened in a fearful sort of awe. The stairs leading up the front foyer were dimly lit by the candles of the chandelier, eerie shadows being cast against the grey stone walls by their flicker. Evan shivered.

Keith, why did you come here?

Evan slowly wandered over to the door on his left, which had been left open. He peered around the hallway, and hearing voices at the end of the short hallway, made his way down it. Once he came to the end of the hallway, he noticed a door left slightly ajar. The voices were coming from in there. One was definitely Keith's, the other, a female voice. Evan carefully leaned in to see what was going on.

"Oh Hyne..."

Keith was sitting on a bed with a young woman. Their lips were locked together, and Keith's hands were unzipping the back of the woman's dress. The woman was unbuttoning Keith's shirt, pushing it off of him. Evan turned away from door.

Artemisia... Evan started to run, fleeing the castle. You bitch. You may have Keith in your power now, but you will not keep him... I've got to warn his father...

*****

"Morning, sunshine. Sleep well?"

Keith opened his eyes and looked next to him. Artemisia was laying on her side, her yellow eyes happily staring at him. She leaned in and gave him a soft peck on the cheek.

"I like how you look when you're asleep," she said to Keith. "So calm, so serene... It's like staring at an angel."

"Angel? Me?" Keith chuckled. "I highly doubt that."

"Okay then, a fallen angel."

"Eh, close enough for me."

*****

Keith whistled an old love song as he walked, er, skipped down the street towards his house. Out of the corner of his eye, he could make out a few people giving him strange looks, but he could care less. When one is in love, true love, they are unburdened by the reactions of others.

Upon reaching his home, Keith hopped up his porch steps and opened the door. He went inside, and entered the living room, but suddenly stopped.

Xander and Evan were sitting there with a small group of other men, staring at him. Keith felt that paranoid feeling returning to him, and his face fell.

They know.

"Grab him" was all Xander said. 

Two men jumped up and tackled Keith before he even had the chance to run. They picked him up from under his arms and Xander pointed to the closet. With Keith kicking and yelling, the men holding him shoved him into the closet and slammed the door shut. Keith got up off of the floor, and began pounding on the door.

"Let me out! Please, let me out!"

"My friends," Xander began, ignoring his son. "We have tolerated the demon in the castle as long as she did us no harm. Now she is seducing a young man, luring him like a fly to her evil web. We can not allow this. Gather whatever you can use as a weapon. We will put an end to this before it has a beginning."

"Don't you dare touch Artemisia!" Keith screamed. "Don't touch her. I swear to Hyne, if you lay one finger on her, I will kill you. I will fucking kill you!"

"She has poisoned your mind," Evan said. "You'll be grateful someday that we saved you."

Keith banged his fists on the door, screaming and yelling until he realized that he had been left alone. He hit his forehead against the door, and cried out in a pleading voice.

"Please ... she's not evil ... she's not ... just hear me..."

*****

(Sorry this chapter's crappy. I'm also sorry for the cliffhanger.)


	4. Will I Ever See The Sun?

(And I'm back with the last chapter of my most successful fic, Artemisia: Escape from Conclusion. I'm so glad that people really liked this story. It was one of my favorites to write. To think, Artemisia was created when I read the name of a Renaissance painter out of my history book. I think that's weird, but I like what's been created from that weird spark of inspiration. Well, let's get to reading the rest of the story and find out what's going to happen to Artemisia and Keith... Oh yeah, there's a frequent mention of the word 'door' in this chapter. That damn castle has far too many. I did my best to come up with synonyms. It's as hard as writing Shakespearean dialogue, which I have done recently for my English class.)

  
  


Chapter 4- Will I Ever See The Sun?

*

There was a dull yet loud thud as Keith rushed the closet door, slamming into it in an attempt to break it down. He stumbled back, a bit stunned from how hard he had hit the solid rectangle of wood, and tripped over some old boxes. He fell, landing on his back within the clutter in his closet.

"...Ow..."

As Keith struggled to get up, he knocked over another box. As it landed on the floor, a few iridescent red-colored stones spilled out. Keith looked at them curiously for a moment before realized what they were.

"Flare stones!" He almost burst with the joy he felt from seeing these stones. "This is the first time I have ever been so happy that Mom stayed with the White SeeD instead of remaining here with Dad and me. I'm gonna have to write to her and tell her that the Flare stones she gave me for my birthday actually came in handy."

Keith picked up one of the stones, and held it for a moment.

"I'm probably going to get burned using this thing..." He shrugged. "Oh well."

Keith hurled the stone at the door. It struck against the door hard, thus releasing the spell. Hot yellow and orange flames quickly engulfed the door and then extinguished themselves. Keith gave himself a quick once over before fleeing for the castle.

"Few first degree burns, scorched clothes," he mumbled to himself. "Nothing too serious."

Keith raced out the front entrance of his house.

*****

Artemisia was dusting off the railing of the Front Foyer, when the door opened. She glanced up from her work, expecting to see Keith, but instead found herself presented with a group of angry-faced men glaring bitterly at her. In each man's hand was either a knife or an object that could used for clubbing. She gasped and fell back, crawling until her back was against the wall.

"Witch!" one man cried out, distinguishing himself from the others. "We're here to put an end to your evil. I won't have you seducing my son and making him a pawn in your sick games."

...He's Keith's father, Artemisia realized.

"Keith's my best friend." Another, much younger, man stepped forward. "I will not let you use him."

These people are insane.

"Get her!"

These strangers began rushing up the steps towards her, waving their pathetic excuses for weapons. She let out a shriek and sprang to her feet, running to the right of the foyer doors (her left). She knew that she would have to keep moving in order to avoid getting caught, and hopefully taking this route would confuse the savagely primitive minds of her hunters.

Artemisia flung herself through the door (she was beginning to hate doors) and flew down the staircase. She cut through the art gallery and down the next staircase into the dungeon. She was busy formulating a plan in her head, once that could possibly buy herself some time to escape.

She always kept the dungeon door unlocked. She hated keeping rooms locked shut; they always brought her back to the night when her mother was attacked. She slipped through the dungeon door, and slammed it shut, causing it to lock. She then ran down the hall to the courtyard, knowing it was only a matter of time before those chasing her would realize that they couldn't get through the dungeon.

She made her way towards the front hall, her heart pounding in her ears. She had never felt fear like this before. She hoped to never feel like this ever again.

As she reached the door (dammit) leading to the front hall, the door swung open from the other side and Keith's father and his friend leaped out. Artemisia skidded to a halt, then stumbled a little as she turned to run back the way she came.

*****

Keith shoved open the castle doors, bursting into the crumbling structure. He could only hear the thumping beat in his chest. This worried him.

"Artemisia?" he called. "Artemisia!!!"

He rushed up the steps of the Front Foyer and this time gently pushed open the wooden portals to the balcony. He glanced over the edge and saw his father, Evan, and the other townsmen heading outside to the courtyard. Keith had a sickening feeling forming in his stomach.

"Artemisia must be that way," he whispered.

Keith looked at the dusty chandelier in front of him. If he was going to get to Artemisia, the quickest way would be using that ancient piece of junk. He gathered up his courage and moved across until the chandelier fell. Before the golden fixture made its abrupt stop inches from the floor, Keith leaped off and landed in a crouching position, particularly hard on his left ankle.

"Augh!" he cried out as pain shot up his left leg. He fell backwards, clutching his shin. "Oh shit, that's not cool."

Slowly Keith forced himself up and hopped a bit on his right leg until he dared to put his left foot on the floor. His face scrunched up in pain, but his foot remained on the floor.

"I'm coming, Artemisia..."

*****

Artemisia had no choice but to run up the stairs heading to the clock tower. She had dug herself into a hole and now all she could do was run and pray for a bit of luck. She crossed the rickety old bridge into the tower. Fallen columns had long ago replaced the first part of the spiral wooden pathway leading to the top, and the stone was cool under Artemisia's bare feet.

Her assassins were close behind her, shouting, yelling, threatening her. Her energy was almost depleted, but she forced herself to keep moving her now throbbing legs. She continued up the tower to the very top, and inched across the broken hands of the clock and down the ladders. She fell from exhaustion onto the stone floor, gasping and becoming nauseous from her aching sides. She looked up to see what lay down the path.

Her mother's room. The place of a great battle between good and evil, past and present, present and future. The place where her mother's life was ended to save others. Artemisia had not set foot in that room for almost three years, because she knew that her mother's death would become a reality.

"She's down there!" Keith's father cried out from above her.

Artemisia crawled a few paces before getting to her feet and started running again. She made her way down the catwalk, the queasy feeling in her stomach growing stronger. The chilly wind was blowing across the catwalk, making the skirt of her dress cling to her legs. After flying across the seemingly endless path, she flung her body against the heavy wooden door to her mother's room, forcing it open just enough for her to squeeze through.

The room was dimly lit from the moonlight creeping through the broken stained-glass windows, which revealed the broken and splintered furniture strewn about the floor. The air was cold, stale, and had the faint smell of blood. Artemisia felt a lump in her throat, but she wouldn't let herself cry. She needed to hide.

"She's in there!"

In a panic, Artemisia quickly wedged herself between the wall and a smashed wardrobe cabinet. She thought her heart was going to explode the was it kept pounding.

The men chasing her were definitely stronger, this becoming apparent when they pushed on the door and it flew open, smacking against the wall to the right of the doorframe. The rushed through the door, spilling into the room.

This was the moment when Artemisia finally admitted to herself that she was done for.

"Bad move on your part, little sorceress," Keith's friend said. "You've gotten yourself caught."

"Search the room," Keith's father ordered his mob.

He looked around the room carefully, examining everything he could see. Within moments, his eyes caught sight of part of a small white hand sticking out from behind a piece of furniture. He went over and shoved the splintered piece of mangled wood aside. Artemisia let out a small cry and sank to the floor, covering her head. She could feel his eyes burning through her as he glared down upon her.

"We end this now," Keith's father said.

Artemisia closed her eyes tightly, preparing herself for the inevitable. The other men in the room closed in around her, forming a barrier so that she could not escape. Keith's father raised his weapon, a simple kitchen knife, above his, then thrust it down.

"Mama!" Artemisia cried out in a high-pitched, shrill tone.

Keith's father's arm suddenly stopped in mid-air. He was quite surprised, trying to move the stubborn limb. It felt as though something, or someone, was preventing him from getting rid of Artemisia. The others in the room stared at him, confused, and maybe even a little scared.

"W-what the hell is going on?!" he shouted in a panic.

Two glowing yellow eyes appeared in front of him. As he watched in horror, a figure took shape before him. A face, long white hair, a long red dress leaving nothing to the imagination, and two charcoal black wings.

"...Ultimecia..."

Artemisia realized at about that time that she was still alive, and opened her eyes. She gasped upon the sight of the ghostly figure of her mother, protecting her from her attackers.

"Artemisia?! Artemisia!!"

The wooden door flew open again and Keith dashed into the room. He was limping slightly, his skin was a painful looking red, and he was completely out of breath, but without paying any attention to what was going on already, skidded to Artemisia's side and held on to her tightly.

"Oh, thank Hyne you're safe," he sounded genuinely relieved.

"How'd he get out of the closet?" Evan asked, mostly to himself.

"Mother?..."

Artemisia stood up, pulling Keith up with her. Keith instinctively put a protective arm around his beloved as he now noticed the scene unfolding within the room. The ghost's eyes coldly burned through Xander's own green eyes. Then she opened her mouth to speak.

"Three years." Even her voice was transparent. "Three years, and you continue to bear the grudges of my wrong-doings against my child. Three more needless years where my child has to live as a hostage within these walls. Three years since she could watch a sunrise... So much time lost, because she was unfortunate to end up as my child."

Ultimecia let go of Xander's wrist and he stumbled back. A lavender light created an aura around the ghost, and she transformed. Her hair fell to her waist softly, and the revealing red dress became a concealing black gown. The make up disappeared from her face, a less frightening and sinister face appearing underneath. The ebony wings disintegrated, feathers floating all over the room, then disappearing back into the shadows of the nether world.

"This is my true form in death," Ultimecia continued. "No longer the hateful, vengeful sorceress... She is gone, but ignorant minds have made my daughter, an innocent child, the evil that remains, and when someone else understands that these beliefs are wrong, and dares to be her friend, dares to even love her, and you all assume that he's insane, seduced by magic. You are wrong."

Xander remained silent. He looked to the others who had come with him with the intent of slaying Artemisia, and nodded slightly. He turned his head back to Ultimecia, and dropped his weapon. The clang of the kitchen knife hitting the floor was followed by the thuds and clangs of other weapons being disregarded. Ultimecia merely looked at them with a disgusted expression, and turned to Keith and Artemisia.

"Artemisia, my child," she said. "For so long you have suffered because of me. Start a new life with this young man, free from the chains of my sins. Leave this cursed place and never come back. This is not a place for good souls."

"I will take her away from here," Keith vowed to the ghost.

"Good-bye, Artemisia," Ultimecia said softly. She smiled, then faded away into the shadows. Artemisia threw her arms around Keith's neck and started crying.

"I thought I was going to die..."

"I'm so sorry I wasn't here to protect you," Keith whispered. "But I promise from now on I will never leave your side. We can go away, like your mother said, and start over. Okay?"

"Yeah," Artemisia sniffled.

"Um, Keith?"

Keith turned his head and glanced over at Evan.

"Leave me alone. You've caused me enough trouble."

Evan looked hurt for a moment, but shamefully lowered his head, because he knew Keith was right. He turned away and walked out the door, others following him until it was just Keith and Artemisia left inside the room.

*****

Sometime later, far away from Centra City, in a little church in Winhill, Artemisia and Keith stood before a priest, vowing eternal love to one another before a small group of townspeople they hardly knew, but all they could see was each other.

"Artemisia," Keith began, "through strange circumstances, we were brought together. Our love is strong, it defied the boundaries of ignorance and misunderstanding. There is no one I'd rather spend my life with than you."

"You were the first person to see who I really was," Artemisia said, her eyes sparkling. "You gave me friendship, and love, for which I will be eternally grateful for. You are my missing half, when we are together, we are one, and I pray that we will be forever."

The young lovers traded simple gold wedding bands, and the priest officially pronounced them husband and wife. Keith and Artemisia looked into each other's eyes momentarily before sealing their vows with a kiss. They could now be together forever.

And no one would ever tear them apart ever again.

*****

(Well, that's it for Artemisia's story. I hope you guys liked it. Now I have to go and get some sleep, because tomorrow the school show takes place. I think it's going to take weeks for me to get all that make up off of my face and arms. Oh well, I had a ton of fun anyway. See you guys later!)


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